Vehicle collisions due to driving behavior such as impaired driving are widespread. For example, many vehicle accidents occur due to drivers being distracted (e.g., texting, talking on the phone), drowsy, and/or under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Vehicle accidents caused by vehicle malfunction, such as steering and braking problems, are also prevalent. Poor driving behavior (e.g., distracted driving) and improper vehicle conditions place other drivers at risk every day. For example, a safe driver operating a brand new vehicle may be involved in an accident due to an impaired driver of another vehicle. Vehicle accidents may be costly, time consuming, and in serious cases, fatal.
Although many vehicles include safety features designed to prevent collisions, these systems may be generally based upon monitoring the vehicle operator's own driving behavior (e.g., lane departure warning and lane-keeping assist systems). Some safety features are used or deployed when a vehicle accident occurs (e.g., airbags, inflatable seat belts). Furthermore, vehicles possessing autonomous or semi-autonomous technology or functionality may reduce the risk of vehicle accidents due to an operator's own driving behavior. However, these vehicles may be susceptible to causing accidents due to vehicle malfunction (e.g., engine software problems). Therefore, there exists a need for a vehicle collision alert system that may alert a driver to impaired drivers and/or impaired vehicles in the driver's vicinity to facilitate taking preventative measures to avoid vehicle collisions.